The fight was brutal from the start.
The first of the hollow-eyed figures lunged at Lucas, its limbs bending at unnatural angles, bones snapping as it moved. Lucas swung his sword in a clean arc, slicing deep into its chest—but it didn't slow. It only smiled, mouth stretching too wide, too wrong.
A second one came for me, sharp claws tearing through the air. I dodged just in time, but its nails grazed my shoulder, burning like acid on my skin. I shifted mid-motion, the familiar burst of fur and claws erupting as I twisted, slamming into it with my full weight.
We tumbled across the grass, snapping wildflowers beneath us, biting and clawing like rabid things. My jaws locked around its arm—I should've broken bone—but it was like biting stone. My teeth ached with the force of it.
Behind me, I heard Lucas grunt in pain.
